By Joe Snyder
Former Serra High standout pitcher Adrian Pineda was one of three El Camino College baseball players to land on both the all-California state and Southern California regional team.
Pineda, who will continue his baseball stint at Cal State Long Beach next season, was also the South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. He recorded 90 strikeouts in helping the Warriors finish their season at 33-9 overall and 19-5 in SCC play in finishing second in the conference behind Cerritos College. Pineda, who spent some time playing on the infield, was also the Southern California Two-Way Player of the Year.
Two other ECC players were also selected to all-state and region in Slater Nunez and Cameron O’ Neill.
Nunez had an outstanding batting average of .364 that included 63 hits for the season. He had a slugging percentage of .613 and on-base percentage of .455.
Nunez was also a relief pitcher with 12 appearances out of the bullpen.
O’Neill was a pitcher which recorded an 11-2 record in 14 appearances. He struck out 62 batters in 79 2/3 innings and had an earned run average of 3.39.
The Warriors were eliminated in two straight games in the regional tournament with losses to Chula Vista Southwestern, 5-4, and Fullerton, 7-5.
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Anyikwa, Fitzgerald, Alarcon perform at top Gardena Valley News honors
Basketball standouts Chinemerem Anyikwa of Serra and North Torrance High’s Leila Fitzgerald were Gardena Valley News Boys’ and Girls’ Athletes of the Year, in order.
Anyikwa, a four-year starting varsity player for the Cavaliers, had a stellar season averaging 24 points and 13 rebounds per game in keying Serra to the CIF-Southern Section Division V championship with a 57-51 overtime win over Los Angeles Pilobos on Feb. 27 at Azusa-Pacific University. Anyikwa was named as the CIF-Southern Section Division V Player of the Year and to first-team Daily Breeze all-South Bay.
As a sophomore in the 2023-24 season, Anyikwa helped the Cavaliers advance to the CIF-Southern Section Division IIIAA semifinals where they lost in overtime to Ventura St. Bonaventure. In the 2024-25 season, Serra had a miserable season in the Del Rey League, going 0-12 and 8-16 overall but Anyikwa was on all-league. The Cavaliers were moved down to the Camino Real League where they finished third behind champion Torrance Bishop Montgomery and runner-up La Puente Bishop Amat.
Anyikwa will resume his basketball at Moorehouse University in Atlanta next season.
Fitzgerald was one of the few seniors on North Torrance’s girls’ basketball team that placed second behind champion Redondo in the highly competitive Bay League. She averaged approximately 16 points per game. The Lady Saxons, who made it to the CIF-Southern Section Division IIAA championship game where they fell to Oak Park in the 2024-25 season, were moved up to Division I and fell in the first round. Fitzgerald was on first-team Daily Breeze all-South Bay and Bay League.
Coach of the Year was North Torrance High head baseball mentor Diego Alarcon, who guided the Saxons to the CIF-Southern Section Division VII and Southern California Regional Division IV championships. The Saxons struggled through the regular season with an 11-16 overall mark but was able to pull off a third-place finish, behind champion South Torrance and second place El Segundo, in the Pioneer League despite a 4-8 mark. North finished ahead of fourth place Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula (3-9) and fifth place El Segundo Wiseburn DaVinci (2-10) in the five-team league enabling the Saxons make the playoffs.
Alarcon was in his first season as head coach for North, coming off the previous few seasons as an assistant at El Camino College. He commented the Saxons playing a mostly rigorous regular season schedule, with a large majority of its opponents in divisions above North, and the team discipline in winning the championships. It was North’s first Southern Section title since winning the Class 4A (top division in the Southern Section at that time) in 1974 and first ever regional title. There were no baseball regional playoffs until 2018. Fifty-two years ago, the Saxons were head coached by the late legendary Jim O’ Brien (1938-2025). Alarcon was also Southern Section Division VII Coach of the Year.
North, which won all eight of its playoff games and finished 19-16 overall, was led by Southern Section Player of the Year in senior shortstop Lucas Blackwood, and three all-Southern Section players, senior Andrew Bello, senior Josiah Reed and junior pitcher Mason Matsumoto. The Saxons rolled over South El Monte 7-1 for the Southern Section Division VII crown on May 30 at Cal State Fullerton and San Diego Francis Parker 9-3 for the regional Division IV championship on June 6 at Parker.
Other top boys athletes included Jayden Rendon (Carson, senior, track and field), Khary Wilder (Serra, senior, football), Chris Fields (football, junior, Carson), Nicolas Obimbga (track and field, senior, Torrance), Wesley Ace (football, track and field, junior, Serra), Ethan Edwards (football, basketball, senior, North Torrance), Gibson Turner (football, basketball, baseball, junior, Torrance), Blackwood (baseball, senior, North Torrance), and Kevin Martinez (football, baseball, senior, Gardena).
Other top girls athletes were Deja Smith (flag football, basketball, senior, Serra), Mecca Muhammed (track and field, senior, Serra), Ashannalee Titiala (softball, senior, Carson), Jocelyn Liman (wrestling, junior, North Torrance), Isabella Sanchez (basketball, senior, Gardena), Faith Ugoye (flag football, sophomore, Narbonne), Kya Herndor (soccer, Torrance), Brooklyn Ghilardo (softball, junior, North Torrance), and Kali Carter (basketball, sophomore, Serra).
basketball game against Capistrano Valley Christian on Dec. 18. Anyikwa was the 2025-26
Gardena Valley News Athlete of the Year. (Photos by Joe Snyder)
